Welcome Y'all!

Welcome to the Sassy Seagull! We welcomed our first guests this weekend and I hope they are having a blast enjoying some Tybee Time! I want The Sassy Seagull to be appealing from the very first glance and when I found this artwork on Etsy I knew it had to go on the front porch...

The artist, Jackie Byrd, makes wonderful pallet art from her home in Athens, GA. Her shop is called ThatCraftyByrd--one word. I ordered the sign in a custom size and here it is at the entrance to the cottage...

Can't wait to invite you in!

Welcome Y'all!

Cheerful Coastal Colors!

Now that the siding is installed at the Sassy Seagull cottage I am excited--and maybe a little scared--to pick colors for the exterior. Paint is one thing that has a tremendous impact on the look and feel of the home and I want to stay on budget by getting it right 

the first time. 

I want the colors to feel bright, cheerful, and coastal so I started by going to a couple of paint stores and picking out my favorite paint chips that met that criteria. 

There were soooo many options and as you can imagine it was a little overwhelming. My husband requested that I pick something for the siding color that is blue or blue-ish so I chose a periwinkle blue color from Benjamin Moore that we both liked called "Blue Lapis".

I bought a sample and it was tried it in a small place before committing. 

It looks lighter than the paint chip in the bright sunshine but we loved it! Unfortunately our neighbors had loved it too and it turned out to be the same color as a nearby cottage that had a tall vine-covered fence in front obscuring the view of their home. So I went back to the drawing board and played with some more colors...

I need three colors--one each for siding, shutters, and doors as well as white. I also want to paint the floor of the front porch a light to medium gray and use blue on the ceiling of the front porch.

So after more samples, more trials on the shed behind the cottage...

L to R: Benjamin Moore Limelight, Poolside Blue, Pink Peach, Amelia Island Blue and Limelight

I chose "Amelia Island Blue" over "Poolside Blue" for the siding, "Limelight" for the shutters, and "Pink Peach" for the doors. It's gonna be bright and happy y'all! The painters are working right now and, hopefully, I'll have pictures for you soon! 

Who's "Siding" With Me?

Sorry about the awful pun y'all! I'm just giddy because we've made so much 

progress lately.

The Sassy Seagull has been slowly but surely getting an overhaul! A few weeks ago the foundation work was completed and all brand new electrical and plumbing was roughed in. Some rooms received new windows and and the carpenters built my front porch and back steps.  Then. Finally. It was time to begin closing up the walls!

First came insulation and a moisture barrier that wraps around the house to keep that good ole air-conditioning inside from leaking out...

Then the crew put up Hardie siding. It's made of cement so it is flame retardant.

Paint is next! 

Raising The Roof!

Things have been moving along at The Sassy Seagull! Last time you had a peek at the cottage we had just torn the old front wall down to replace rotting boards and to shore up the foundation. While we were at it we decided to "raise the roof" by giving it 

a steeper pitch.

Because of the changes we made it was necessary to put a new roof on the front. We really wanted a metal roof and decided to go ahead and replace all of the roof thanks to a great quote we got from Ace Roofing!

The guys came and measured...

Took the old roof tiles off...

And before too long it we had a gorgeous metal roof!

Surprise!!!

Surprise!!! If you ever watch remodeling shows on HGTV (I love them!), I'm sure you've come to expect surprises as each project progresses. Usually unhappy surprises.

Once we leveled the floor in the former porch--now dining room, it impacted other parts of the structure--not a surprise. But as the boards for the ceiling and the walls were removed--Surprise! Termite damage in the exterior walls.

We decided it would be best to tear down and rebuild the exterior walls of the porch...

Now we are assured that the floor will be level and the structure will be secure. Another good thing-- we were able to raise the roof a bit so our ceiling will be higher on the inside.

And look at the rafter tails--we're leaving them exposed. A number of the old Tybee cottages have this detail and I think it adds a lot to the look of this old cottage.

I like what I see so far. 

I am trying to decide whether or not to replace the screen to the tiny front porch entrance. I think I like it open with just some pickets and a handrail. What do you think?

We Have A Plan!

It's time to landscape the yard at Doc Holiday cottage and thankfully I have a brother, Bill Griffin, a landscape architect in Savannah, who can help.  He and his crew from Griffin Landscape Design and Contracting did an amazing job at The Coral Cottage and it made a huge difference!  You can see the Before and Afters here.

Recently while I was at Doc Holiday Bill came by to measure the yard and begin working on a plan.  We talked over my wish list...

•  Plant material that was drought resistant

•  A privacy hedge on each side of the house to screen us from the park and the next door neighbor--something tall, thick, and fast-growing

• Oleanders--they are so beachy and have a long-lasting blooming season.

•  A brick patio

• Paver walkway to the back door

•  Bill's suggestion--make a place to hide the trashcans when they are not curbside for pick up.

This is the proposed plan Bill sent me....

The front of the house is facing left.

After looking up a few of the suggested plants to see what they look like and getting some questions answered...

We Have A Plan!!!

Yes Sir, That's My Baby!

Did I ever show you pictures of the exterior of Doc Holiday?  I don't think I did yet and I am so pleased with the result!

If you've been reading this blog from the beginning, my very first post showed our little old cottage that started it's life in the 1930's down the street at another location...

It's owners wanted to tear it down so they could build a lovely new house but the historical society at Tybee Island persuaded them to wait--to give them time to find somebody who would move the house to another location... 

 That somebody was us!  Me and my husband Henry!  We bought the cottage for a dollar!

We raised the cottage so it would be above the flood elevation...

Some very skilled carpenters and other trades applied themselves to fully restoring our 

little cottage inside and out...

Then voila!  Here is Doc Holiday today!

After all this effort and attention, it's almost like my baby!  And like any proud mama I have lots of pictures to show my baby off.  Please bear with me!

  The main part of the house is painted a Martha Stewart Living color called Hummingbird Blue 

MSL 135.  The shutters are Behr Citron 400B-4.  And the front door is Sherwin-Williams 

Coral Reef SW 6606.

Like the colors?  I wanted it to feel like a beach cottage with bright colors that are so perfect on coastal properties.  I'm thankful that I had a great color guru, designer Jane Coslick, 

to help me choose.

Next up--the landscaping!

Doc Holiday Update: People, I Need Prayer!

I'm keeping the road from home to Tybee well-traveled these days as we race to finish Doc Holiday!  Here are a few recent developments...

 

The wood floors are refinished now and they are sooo pretty!  Here they were with one coat of polyurethane in satin...

 

Now that the second coat of polyurethane is on the floor it has a beautiful sheen!

They were putting paper down on the floor to protect it.

 The painters are working hard this week.  The rooms with sheetrock are being painted with Sherwin-Williams paint, SW 6483 Buoyant Blue, with white trim.

 The wood walls are getting Martha Stewart Living's #8002 Glass of Milk in semi-gloss.  We are doing a little sanding and caulking but are leaving the more cottagey, rustic look.

Here is the main living space getting a coat of primer.  White walls, even in primer, 

make such a difference.

And on the outside we added a window to the front of the house.  And how do you like 

the coral paint on the front door?

 

The pace has picked up as everyone races to get us into the house by the first week of July.  My mission right now is painting furniture--with my friend Loretta and I working hard I hope to have everything ready to use in a week and a half!  People, I need prayer.

 

Doc Holiday Update: Holding My Breath!

I made a very quick trip to Tybee to check on Doc Holiday this week but I left a day early when I saw that Tropical Storm Andrea was heading for Savannah!  Thankfully Savannah and Tybee were spared as the course of the storm changed during the evening.  Doc Holiday is none the worse for wear--just rain without the high winds!  Here's what's been happening...

 

We are now the proud owners of an outside owner's closet!

And there is an area blocked off under the house for bicycles and beach paraphernalia to be stored away from the eyes of people passing by...

The screened area under the house is up and awaiting trim--but we have a screen door!

 

 

The front porch floor has been sanded and is ready for porch paint.  I think I've decided I want a coral colored door and there was a little paint left (see can on floor?) from doing The Coral Cottage that we will slap on the door to see how we like it.

 

 

The outdoor shower is a work in progress...

 

 

 

 and Steve from Anthony's crew built me these gorgeous doors that we can open if we want to park under the house!  But if they are closed they fit in with the Tybee lattice and 

give so much curb appeal! 

There was a big pile of granite gravel that had been dumped in the driveway.  It should be spread by the time I get back to Tybee!

We've got a good crew and we're making progress!  Will we be in by July 4th?  

I'm holding my breath!

 

Doc Holiday Update: Fingers Crossed and Prayers Lifted!

I'm down at Tybee this week checking on progress at Doc Holiday--and there's lots of progress to report on!

 

We now have what the locals call "Tybee lattice" around the bottom of the house giving a 

finished look to the ground level.

 

And we have a nice roomy owner's closet that was built under the house to hold personal items we want to put away when renting the house plus extras (think fresh replacement linens, extra silverware and dishes, etc.)  that need to be stored for quick access when prepping

the house for guests.

The Allure flooring that I blogged about in this link has been installed and it looks great--it's covered up to protect it from harm right now but you can see just a bit of it under the cabinets...which bring us to cabinets.  The kitchen cabinets are being set in place and very soon the countertops will be ordered.

 

 

 Just the other day before my trip to see the house Jordan, one of the workers, kindly sent me a text with this photo of the tiling that was being done in the tub area.

So as you can see things are changing fast!  That's a good thing 'cause we're racing the clock to get finished by July 4th week when I promised our family they could come for a visit.  Fingers crossed and prayers being lifted!